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What’s an LED TV?

When a product has become commoditized and its price is regularly dropping and its profit margins are getting ever-thinner, how can a company boost its sales and raise its prices?

Samsung 8000 Series LED TV

One way is by changing the product’s name.

That’s what Samsung has done with its new line of LCD TVs using LEDs to illuminate the screen. In its print advertising and on its Web site, Samsung calls the new range simply “LED TVs.”

They are not LED TVs. Calling them such makes as much sense as calling its existing line of LCD televisions Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp TVs, or CCFL TVs, after the lighting technology that they use.

Whatever its validity, Samsung’s decision to drop “LCD” was a smart marketing move. After all, “LED” is the acronym du jour, a technology that’s all the rage as a new, perhaps revolutionary lighting source. It’s as emotive a term as “HDTV” and “digital” were in their heydays.

But it’s also confusing consumers. An industry colleague told me that in a recent trip to a big-box retailer, he overheard several friends asking what type of TV they were watching. One said it wasn’t LCD or plasma, it was an LED set.

More accurately, it was an expensive LCD set. LED-backlit LCD TVs can cost as much as twice their standard LCD or plasma counterparts. Is the extra money worth it, even if you can afford it?
Here are the answers to some questions you may have about LCD TVs using LED backlighting.

What’s wrong with existing LCD TVs?
Up until now, LCDs used fluorescent tubes to light the screen. As a result, LCDs have trouble creating deep blacks. That’s because fluorescent tubes are always on, and some light leaks through to the front of the display even when a part of the image is supposed to be black. A lack of deep blacks reduces the perceived sharpness of the set’s image.

What’s an LED TV?
It’s an LCD TV that uses LEDs to illuminate the display. There are two ways to do this: either by placing LEDs across the entire back of the display, or by placing LEDs just around the perimeter, which is called an “edge lit” display. Both techniques use less power than plasma TVs and LCD TVs lit with fluorescent tubes.

Which technique is better?
They both have their pros and cons. LCD TVs using edge-lit LCDs can be ultra-thin, because the LED sources are on the side. Edge-lit LED-lit LCDs are also less expensive than LCD TVs using LED backlit technology.

On the other hand, LCD TVs that use LEDs across the rear of the display can create sharply deeper blacks, through a technique called “local dimming.” When a scene calls for a dark image, the LEDs in that area can be shut off completely, so no light leaks through what should look black.

So if I want an LED-lit LCD, I should buy one using back-lit technology?
It’s not so simple. An LED back-lit TV may contain only about 1,000 LEDs. And those LEDs can only be dimmed in large groups, because it is too expensive to control each LED individually. So when you shut off or dim a group of LEDs you may also be darkening part of an adjoining scene on the TV that really should be bright. If you cut back on the dimming, then the blacks will be less dark than blacks in another part of the image that are not surrounded by lighter images.

Theoretically, you could increase the number of LEDs so that each lit just one pixel on the 2 million pixel LCD screen. But then you could just throw away the LCD screen because you would have actually created an LED television — just like the Walgreens LED sign in Times Square.

O.K., but still, LCD TVs with LEDs have great contrast
Sometimes they do. It depends on what you’re watching. As a Samsung engineer said to me last week, “the most dramatic effect of LED-lit TVs happens when the entire scene goes to black” — not necessarily when you’re watching a scene with a mixture of light and dark images.

Do LED-lit LCD TVs produce better pictures than plasma TVs?
Interestingly, I’ve heard no one in the industry claim that they do. At best, they say that with LED-lit LCD TVs, plasma no longer has an edge when it comes to creating deep blacks and saturated colors. But plasma still has a big edge when it comes to price.

How much more do LED-lit LCD TVs actually cost?
Right now, a lot. But that should change as more companies enter the market. The list price for Samsung’s 46-inch high-end LED-lit LCD TV, model UN46B8000, is $3,200. But its larger 50-inch plasma high-end model, the PN50B860, is $800 cheaper.

Later this year, LG will introduce two new series of LED LCD TVs, in 42-, 47-, and 55-inch screen sizes; all sets will use backlit LED technology. Prices have not been announced.

Not surprisingly, Vizio has just broken the LED price barrier. On Monday, the company announced that beginning this September it would ship the VF551XVT, a 55-inch LCD model using LED backlighting. The price: $2,200, or $1,000 less than Samsung’s smaller 46-inch LED-lit television. It looks like Samsung’s strategy to make its LED-based LCD TVs a premium product may have a short life.

I have read a couple of siilar stories like this in other publications and I’m confused why journalists are having so much fun pointing this out. It’s not like Samsung is falsely advertising. The major difference of these new LCDs is that they use LED lighting so they called the the TV an LED TV instead of an LED LCD TV. What’s the big deal?

What if they called these TVs their “New 1080p TVs”? Would that invalid because they aren’t calling them LCDs?

What’s next? Are you going to start testing Sony’s DNA to make sure that HD is really in there? haha….

The reason some journalists and all professional market analysts are explaining that an LED backlight does not create an LED TV set is that there is a real LED technology for TV applications. Organic light-emitting diode displays (OLED) are an emerging technology but Sony shipped commercial TV sets using OLED a year ago.

Mass production of affordable OLED TV larger than 30″ may be years away, but I think the industry should use proper definitions and minimize consumer confusion.

The new Mits. LazerVue is out and is definitely here to challenge Samsung’s LED TV sales, although @ $7k in this economy I think only Hollywood stars will afford such a dream theater. The Sales associates that sell the Samsung LED TV declair that it is backlit with LEDs, but at 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, all this talk about LED TVs having only 1000 LEDs, I highly doubt Samsung’s LED TV have that few with such an insane contrast ratio, displaying amazing colors and black (sorry for the run-on sentence :) And the new S. LED TV, though listed at such a high price, can be purchased online a bit cheaper @ $2,4XX after shipping, which is less than the store’s prices of $2,600+ like big names such as Best Buy sell for. I advise just finding the best price for a 30,000:1 or more contrast ratio 1080p LCD TV of 40-60 inches, and saving your $1,300-1,600 bucks. You’ll not regret it, as they’re pretty dang sharp, and finding yourself wishing, “man.. that picture is insane on that LED TV. Boy I wish I really would’ve saved up another year to buy it.” It won’t happen.

Caveat Emptor!!
Now Samsung can add False/Misleading Advertising to their list of consumer frauds! Seems that when you but a 40 inch + Flat Panel Samsung TV the panel has an inherent flaw. Due to heating and cooling of the panel, sometimes a hairline crack will develop or become enhanced resulting in vertical colored lines on the screen. Samsung does no stand by their products! Rather, they routinely claim that their defect was the consumers fault; they claim “impact damage” and refuse to repair or replace the defective panel. STAY AWAY FROM SAMSUNG PRODUCTS!!!!

I have a 55 inch LCD-LED samsung TV and let me say it is BY FAR the best TV I have ever viewed. I am not just saying this to justify my purchase either. I bought a samsung blu-ray home theater system which came with a free blu-ray DVD. I chose dark knight and watched it for the first time the other day. The picture is better than ANYTHING else on the market I can honestly say. A few of my friends could not stop talking about the picture. It is a pricy technology but by no means is the industry misleading consumers, this is the best TV to own by far. Anyone who says different is simply bitter because they can’t afford it yet.

Message to Bob Carter: It is confusing and it should be mandatory that companies like Samsung are very clear as to what their products is. Lets face it, most people won’t read between the lines and it’s this weakness large companies try to take advantage of. Even for someone technically savvy as myself, I was lead to believe that LED tv’s are made up of LED’s, not LCD. In addition, Sony’s DNA SHOULD be verified! As should any products claims….period.

I agree with #7…I see that these journalists are bitter about a new product(do they even own one?) because they can’t afford it or became outdated with new TV purchase. I walked around Bestbuy for few minutes two days ago. This 55” LED TV stunned me right away. I couldn’t stop staring at it for good 1min (I usually don’t care for TV displays). Yesterday, I walked into Bestbuy and paid $3900 without tax right away. OH god this is by far the best purchase I’ve ever made this year! Sooooo thin and clear!

I find the information quite useful. Well, some seem to think that the writer is a bit hard. I do not know much about these techs, but when I first saw LED TV (Samsong), I really did think it was new technology, like LCD Plasma and now LED kinda thing. By reading this, I learnt that it is an integrated LCD technology.

I appreciate Eric’s article above. and the fact that I’m on this page is also the same as why comment #9. I consider myself to be fairly savvy in this dept, and yet i was questioning myself as to whether indeed they had managed to make LED’s so small enough that RGand Blue leds could be packed into the space of a single pixel to create such hi-def Tv sets or that a single LED could somehow be contolled to glow either RG or B.

It’s borderline false advertising to call these LED Tvs they should be called LED backlight / energy saving green TVS or something.

Now the next thing i need to find out is if there the 120hz refresh advertised is compatible with stereoscopic 3D.

Regards.
(p.s this is one time I’m truly impressed with a journalist’s review and being spot on on a new technology)

Clyde I just want to let you know that when I was researching TV’s to purchase this the LED-LCD TV I bought was clearly shown it wasn’t completely LED. It is even in the category of LED-LCD which is different than a LED TV. The name and specs of the TV I bought is below so I don’t think the companies are falsely advertising.

The proper term for this class of TV would be a LED-BLU LCD-TV. (BLU – Back Lighting Unit) However that is probably just too many letters. Seriously it is an LCD TV, but with a LED-BLU as a premium design feature versus our now standard CCFL-BLU. I suspect as the technology improves and diversifies the BLU technology used will be a listed feature in advertising a set. So be sure to read those product descriptions carefully.

Clyde, do u really believe that samsung is false advertising . its just like jared said u go to look up the specs on any web site and the first thing you see is LED LCD. i like most of you have read lots of reviews both negative and positive and i am now under the impresion that most of the negative comments about shadows and such are just nonsense. i bought this TV 2 days ago and it is by far the most impressive one i have ever seen and owned. You people that make derogatory comments must work for competing TV companies and are merely tring to discourage buyers from purchasing one of these fine TV’s. I personally have looked this TV over in all aspects even down to standard 480i, and it still out preforms everything on the market.

I feel that the people on here making comments should be owners of the product they are providing a review on, and not hipocrits who base there comments on no first hand experience.

Samsung 55″ 1080P 120Hz LED LCD 6000 series – Paid 2299$ with free 400$ bluray player at Fry’s electronics, the best price ive seen so far!

What this discussion really boils down to is asking if these advertisements for LED TV’s is misleading or not. In a way it’s both. On one hand some advertising (LG for example) does intend for the viewer to draw the conclusion that it actually uses an LED display …. But on the other hand they make sure the difference is clear when you research and purchase the product.

I think the author of this article was on point on the fact that it is a marketing play on a new technology. I hope that most of you know that such tactics are no different across the board… Whether it’s those scratch ‘removers’ or things that are absolutely FREE (with purchase), they are always manipulating the details to their best advantage.

When I first saw “LED TV” signs at Fry’s last week, I was surprised. Considering myself tech savvy, and having waited for LED TVs for years, I wondered how I could have missed such a breakthrough. The sales rep said they were LED TVs, but I rightfully disbelieved.

Today I went to the Samsung website to research, and there is no indication that these are LCD TVs with LED backlights. Here’s a cut-n-paste directly from their web site…

“UN32B6000 32″ 1080p LED HDTV”

COMPLETELY MISLEADING and after some hunting around their site, I found nothing to dispel the idea that these are in fact LED TVs.

I Googled and found this review (well done Mr. Taub) which brings clarity to the issue.

Kudos to Best Buy for properly including “LCD” in their description, but Samsung marketing deserves to be spanked.

The marketing may be questionable, but it is the fault of the consumer for not asking for clarification before handing over the Benjamins. The quality is undeniable in a side by side comparison. And, sure, the price is a bit hard to overcome right now, but does anyone recall experiencing the sticker shock when Plasma TV’s first came out? Several thousands of dollars for something that was likely to burn out in under just a few years.

Don’t blame Samsung for getting to market first and creating the hype. This will only bring on a frenzy of competition for market share and drive those prices down…until the next latest-greatest comes out!

I found this thread wondering about the NEW technology called LED TV’s and did think that it was a true LED TV. So it proves that they are misleading the consumer to believe this. thank you for the info!

They should just call it what it is. a LCD LED TV.. or is that to much production cost for 3 more letters.. at least if I bought one I could say my LCD TV is a better version of your LCD TV.. lol

I was also confused by the lack of distinction between LED Backlit and LED Display when I saw their commercial. I agree that they make no effort at distinguishing between the two… Seems like a lot of people commenting are very happy with their LED-LCD sets, which is good to hear. I’m wondering if the display is that much better to make the extra money worth it, or if they just like to show off how thin it is. (I don’t care either way… still using the clunker CRT)

@Clyde:

There already are single LEDs that will glow red / green / blue (or any combination). Each color has its own individual input, and you can vary the intensity by varying the current through each one.

There also already are products that use OLED screens.. They tend to be in small consumer electronics, but are recently expanding to laptop screens, small TV’s etc.

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